Q&A with Peter Engelmann, OBA Award for Excellence in Constitutional, Civil Liberties and Human Rights Law Recipient

“What inspires me is the ability to affect change and make workplaces safer and otherwise assist employees in dealing with a variety of workplace issues both a systemic and individual fashion.”

Peter Engelmann, Partner, Goldblatt Partners, is being honoured this year with the OBA Award for Excellence in Constitutional, Civil Liberties and Human Rights Law for his outstanding leadership and contributions to the field. Find out what motivates him and how he is making a difference in his area of practice.

1. Who or what inspires you most in your career?

There have been a number of lawyers who have inspired me during my legal career. Barrie Chivers and Sheila Grekol, who I worked for in Edmonton early in my career, were huge influences and were inspirational to me in the areas of labour, human rights and constitutional law. I have worked with a number of lawyers who have inspired me since including many of my current partners and colleagues. 

What inspires me is the ability to affect change and make workplaces safer and otherwise assist employees in dealing with a variety of workplace issues both a systemic and individual fashion.

2. What does a ‘good day’, or success, look like for you in your work?

It could be pleading a case, whether final arguments in a labour arbitration, a human rights application or a judicial review/appeal.  It could also be achieving a settlement at a mediation or something less client focused like a good discussion, even argument, about a challenging legal issue with colleagues. 

3. What challenges or motivates you most about your particular area of practice?

As I noted earlier, it is the ability to affect change through work. One example of this was a constitutional challenge I was fortunate enough to argue on behalf of CUPE. This was the Rosenberg case where CUPE challenged the opposite sex definition of spouse in the Income Tax Act and we were successful before the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1998.

4. Apart from encyclopedic knowledge of the law, is there a single trait that you think all effective lawyers share?

There are several traits that effective lawyers share. Thorough preparation, civility and respect and one that is sometimes overlooked – perception.  To succeed at a hearing or a mediation, the ability to read a room, to understand when to stop, how forceful to be….